Bear Down: A Bull Rider’s Story
M.J. Bordeaux
Author Bio
I was born in Wilmington, North Carolina and Graduated from Acme Delco High School in 1986. I currently work in the transportation industry. I am married and have three children. I’ve always loved to write and have been able to express myself well,while writing. I guess it could be said that it was a crazy idea for me to write this book, however I would have to disagree. I felt that I had something to say, and something to leave behind long after I’m gone. I wanted to instill in my children that any thing is possible if you try hard enough. So I set out to write a book. I was a Bull rider in the rodeo for about ten years so writing a book about a bull rider wouldn’t be a stretch. It has been quite the daunting task though, I must admit. After several re-writes and setting on my computer two years gathering cob webs I finally decided to publish it. It took me about five months to get it self-published and out there to the public. It’s been a very satisfying and rewarding experience. I am a writer because I write, and as long as I have something to say I will continue to write.
Description
Bear Down: A bull riders story, is an inspirational story about over coming insurmountable odds, and repeated failure. Caleb Johnson, would have been more apt to have ridden a surf board, but instead he chose to ride a bull. When Caleb’s sister moves from Oklahoma, to North Carolina, she brings along her new husband Gerard, who happens to be a wild bronc rider. Through this connection Caleb channels his love for competition in to bull riding. Caleb’s love for the beautiful Jonna Wright, is a once in a life time love, but an untested love. And when bull riding comes between Caleb, and a dream job at the local paper mill, Jonna takes issue. It is just one of many obstetrical standing in Caleb Johnson’s path to becoming a world champion bull rider. Caleb has to over come the strain on his marriage, the many injury’s that plague his body, and the one thing that always stands in his way, his mind. He loves his wife and son, and has to constantly fight off the demons of doubt, which pollutes his positive thinking.
Without a positive mind riding the two thousand pound bull called Rebels Revenge seems just about impossible, but that’s just what Caleb will have to do if he has any chance of winning the world title. Friendships are made along the way, and those friendships are tested through adversity. Rivalry’s are born out of competition between bull riders buying fore the title. It is a constant struggle between life and death every time Caleb ties himself on to a raging bull. From North Carolina, to Alberta, Canada, to California, the competition Heats up with all roads leading to Las Vegas, Nevada where the NRCA world finals will be held. Caleb gets knocked down over and over again and has to over come a life threatening injury. It seems like two steps forward and three steps back,will Caleb’s perseverance some how get him through to the end? Who will be crowned world champion? Will it be the flamboyant Brett Cottrell, or will it be the Australian, Marcus Flanagan? The phenom from Oklahoma, or the most unlikely person of all, Caleb Johnson?
Book excerpt
Caleb Woke every morning at 5 A.M. and looked at his scarred face in the mirror before splashing cold water on it to wash the sleep out of his eyes and to further wake himself for his five mile run. The scares need not remind him of the horrible accident; the twenty five long pins in the plastic cup under the mirror were all he needed. They had held his face together.
Caleb embraced the scars and the pins because they reminded him of how lucky his was to still be alive and how easily life could be taken away, as quickly as the snap of a finger. Something like that changed a man, and it changed Caleb. It made Caleb thankful of every sunrise and every sweet kiss from his beautiful wife and the simplest of things, like C.J. asking him, ” Whats that Daddy?” and then when Caleb would give him the answer, C.J. would innocently ask why.
The green pine needles on the pine trees seemed greener, and the sun coming up over the eastern horizon glowed a little more orange than before, and the cool Carolina air smelled a little fresher even with the stench of the paper mill hanging in the breeze. Caleb hadn’t yet set a date to get back on the road; however, he had been working very hard to make it a reality.
He started easy, only riding the easiest of bulls, and then moved up with each successful ride until he felt he could ride at the level he once had. Bret Cottrell had been representing North Carolina well and seemed to be on his way to a world title. Caleb no longer envied Bret though; he just wanted to ride as well as he could, and if a world title was in God’s plan for his life, then it would be.
Andy Money had won the 1991 NRCA world title but would soon forsake his talent because of arrogance, the same gift that Charlie Brown possessed but had wasted. Caleb didn’t have that natural raw talent and begrudged the ones who did and wasted it. The year of 1992 seemed to fly by like an old mans memory, and on March 8th, 1993, three days after C.J.’s birthday, everything was once again perfect in Caleb’s life.
Caleb had sold the truck he had won at the circuit finals and finally bought Jonna the diamond ring she had always wanted, and the Christmas before, Jonna had gotten Caleb a brand new pair of Barstow chaps that were red and black and had his initials engraved on them. Rio Blain was now working for Lee James, who had finally realized his dream after buying out Charlie Atwater’s operation.
Lee James had an innovative bull- breeding program, which started with his little Werewolf heifer, and he continued to tweak it until he had the rankest bulls on the circuit, but in 1993, it was in it’s infancy. On Caleb’s five-mile run, he thought about the past and the future, and the vision he saw was clear. It was time to step up and snatch the dream that had been snatched from his grasp so many times before.
It came as no surprise to Jonna when Caleb came in from his run and suggested it was time to get back after it. ” I agree, it’s time baby,” she said, standing in the bathroom, putting on her makeup.
” I don’t know why you put that stuff on your face. you don’t need it”
” You know I have to put my face on before I go to work,” she replied, giggling.
” I’m going to enter a big event in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and I think it’s time to do this full time, or hang up my rope once and for all.”